Good health requires knowledge and access. WIC provides both to Onslow County residents.

Two keys to good health are knowing what food to eat and having access to that food. Unfortunately, more families are finding it hard to put healthy food on their dinner tables. A lack of good nutrition can put young children at risk for health problems and cause difficulties in school. Onslow County’s Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program helps low-income families meet the nutritional needs of pregnant and postpartum women, infants and children up to age 5.

“While adding more fruits and vegetables to these families’ diets is an important part of our program, participants get more than food from WIC,” said Mary Jane Harrison, Outreach Coordinator for Onslow County Health Department’s WIC program. “WIC offers families nutrition education and counseling, breastfeeding promotion and support, supplemental foods, and even healthcare referrals.”

The Onslow County WIC Program currently serves an average of 7,800 participants each month.

According to Harrison, “A newer feature of WIC is that families receive cash valuevouchers to purchase fresh, canned and/or frozen fruits and vegetables at authorized WIC vendors. Where people might think of WIC as providing staples like milk and bread, having access to fresh foods is critical to a child’s healthy development and to establishing good eating habits early in life. The Onslow County WIC program also provides coupons to the Farmers’ Market during the summer months, allowing families to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers.”

Breastfeeding promotion and support is an important part of the WIC Program. The Onslow County WIC agency has a Lactation Consultant, Breastfeeding Peer Counselors and Nutritionists ready to assist moms in making informed decisions about how they feed their babies. The Onslow County Health Department also offers a monthly breastfeeding class.

“The importance of breastfeeding for both mom and baby cannot be overstated. Breastfed babies have stronger immune systems and a lower chance of becoming overweight. Moms who breastfeed tend to get back to their pre-baby weight more quickly. Because breastfeeding is so important, Onslow County Health Department WIC recently began a new program. In the program, a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor works one-on-one with a new mom to answer questions and give guidance. The result has been that more women feel comfortable with breastfeeding their babies,” explained Harrison.

According to Harrison, “One thing that people often think about WIC is that it is only for infants. WIC is so much more than people realize. It is there to help new families get well established nutritionally. The nutrition education and healthy foods that WIC provides give children a healthy start in life and teach parents how to establish habits in their families that will contribute to good health for a lifetime.”

WIC applications are taken Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Onslow County Health Department and in Tarawa Terrace Housing.

Page 2 of 2 - For more information about WIC or to make an appointment, please visit the Onslow County Health Department WIC site for civilian applicants at 612 College St., Jacksonville, and for military applicants at 2455 Iwo Jima Boulevard, Tarawa Terrace; or call 910-347-5002 for civilians and 910-353-0022 for military dependents. You may also visit the WIC website at nutritionnc.com. The WIC Program is an equal opportunity provider and employer.